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Exploring Fjords & beyond

Yachting Monthly UK

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January 2026

As we head for Norway's south coast, the spectacular west coast fjords are behind us, writes Amy Kemp, as she is halfway through her five-month adventure

- Amy Kemp

Exploring Fjords & beyond

Sadly, we're halfway through our adventure already. As I write, we're sailing from Haugesund to Stavanger. In a few days we'll be as far as Kristiansand and on to Norway's south coast; the west coast fjords are now behind us. On the upside, we hope we might see more of the sun!

Norway so far, as you might expect, has been spectacular. I feel like we're travelling through a postcard. It is civilised, clean and feels so safe – the boys jump off the boat and go exploring in every new port and I've grown accustomed to not worrying about it. A refreshing difference to life at home, where I would indeed worry. The two of them have established a thriving soft-shackle business – Barnaby is the manufacturer, and Blaise is a surprisingly confident sales strategist. Not satisfied with our offer to pay them for boat jobs, they have found a far more interesting and lucrative source of pocket money – Blaise has even started dabbling in investing his profits via an app on James' phone. I'm satisfied that there is some pretty good learning going on here. There are even spreadsheets detailing costs and margins; and the two of them have a written contract that was hotly negotiated regarding their roles and responsibilities.

SCANDINAVIAN SCALE

FLERE HISTORIER FRA Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

ALLURES HORIZON 47

Since 2003 Allures have been building yachts that don't sit neatly in one category or another. Rugged explorer yachts with aluminium hulls, the deck and superstructure are fibreglass and as such allow the boat to feel much less utilitarian than some of its all-metal counterparts. This fourth-generation model seeks to take a fresh look at what a blue-water cruising yachts is.

time to read

1 mins

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Check your lifejacket light regularly

I have been fortunate to have been able to practise live night time man-overboard drills, both jumping in and running the training exercise.

time to read

1 mins

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

CORNISH CRABBER 24 MK3

Far from being a lightweight trailer sailer, Nic Compton finds the third version of this modern classic to be a serious little cruising boat capable of handling far more than a little creek crawling

time to read

9 mins

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

One day you will...

For those dreaming of the joys of owning a yacht, Nick Ridley offers encouragement as well as a look at the harsher reality of financing your dreams

time to read

8 mins

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

Magenta Project launches its 2025/26 mentoring program

The Magenta Project has launched the 10th edition of its successful mentoring programme.

time to read

1 mins

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

OVNI 490

Anyone who has followed the last two editions of the Vendée Globe, or even developments in the Class 40 fleet, will know it's now well understood that, if sailors have good protection on watch, they'll perform better as well as be more comfortable. Similar thinking is being applied to cruising yachts, though this can be complicated by a stronger emphasis on aesthetics.

time to read

1 min

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

J-BOATS J36

This is an evolution of the popular J/112e, with the deck layout, companionway and cockpit updated. It brings the boat into line with the larger J40 and J45 which have been adapted to have a wider appeal to cruisers as powerful, offshore-capable cruiser-racers.

time to read

1 mins

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

Research your harbours

The more you know about a place before you get there, the better prepared you will be.

time to read

1 min

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

SAFFIER SE28 LEOPARD

Family-run Dutch yard Saffier has built a reputation as a builder of achingly stylish, extremely fun and very quick daysailer yachts, with the notable recent addition of a 46ft cruiser to the lineup.

time to read

2 mins

January 2026

Yachting Monthly UK

Yachting Monthly UK

Hurricane Tom

Tom's novel could bear the slogan: 'It reads like a survival guide,' both for dealing with highjackers and hurricanes

time to read

3 mins

January 2026

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